Zanzibar launches LARIS digital land registry to strengthen ownership
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Zanzibar has launched the Land Administration and Registration Information System, a digital platform intended to replace paper records covering ownership, surveying, valuation and planning across Unguja and Pemba.
Zanzibar has launched a digital land administration platform aimed at replacing paper records in a bid to reduce disputes over ownership and boundaries and to speed up property transactions.
The Zanzibar Land Administration and Registration Information System, known as LARIS, was officially launched on July 27, 2026 at Kigunda in North Unguja. Second Vice-President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla, representing President Hussein Ali Mwinyi, cut the ribbon and described the project as a major step in transforming land governance.
Implemented by the Ministry of Lands and Housing, LARIS is intended to become the central system for collecting, processing, storing and sharing accurate information on land ownership, surveying, valuation, registration and urban and village planning across Unguja and Pemba. The government says its central objective is establishing reliable information about who owns what, where it is located and how it can legally and sustainably be used.
Minister for Lands and Housing Rahma Kassim Ali said the project demonstrated the government's commitment to proper management of Zanzibar's land resources, supported by strong infrastructure. According to the project's objectives, LARIS is expected to improve land transactions and the collection of property-related taxes, promote efficient land use and strengthen investment and tourism.
Officials say the value of the system will be measured by whether owning and using land becomes easier and more secure. Clear and accessible records could help residents prove ownership, transfer property, seek to develop land or use a land-use title as collateral for a loan - improvements that the government says are increasingly relevant as Zanzibar experiences urban growth, tourism development and rising pressure on land.
The project aligns with Zanzibar's Development Vision 2050 and national land policies and laws. The government acknowledges that technology alone cannot resolve land-management challenges and that success will depend on accurate data, effective procedures, capable personnel and cooperation among institutions that create, use or administer land information.